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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22429447">Dawn of an Eclipse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialCelly/pseuds/CelestialCelly'>CelestialCelly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>All of them deserve hugs, Alternate Ending, Blind Ignis Scientia, Crying, Crying Gladiolus Amicitia, Crying Ignis Scientia, Crying Noctis Lucis Caelum, Crying Prompto Argentum, Dawn - Freeform, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Crying, Post-World of Ruin, Sad with a Happy Ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:16:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22429447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialCelly/pseuds/CelestialCelly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>No matter what the prophecy says, they will never let the dawn come at the cost of their dearest friend. They will do whatever it takes to wake him up...</p><p>An Alternate ending to "Dawn Only Breaks When the Night Dies"<br/>Based off He6o's day 8 Inktober art - <a href="https://twitter.com/He6o/status/1181772471734849536">Frail</a></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gladiolus Amicitia &amp; Prompto Argentum &amp; Noctis Lucis Caelum &amp; Ignis Scientia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dawn of an Eclipse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The start of this fic is the same as Dawn Only Breaks When the Night Dies. If you have already read that and don't really need the re-cap, feel free to scroll down to the dotted lines "--------" where this alternate endings takes place.<br/></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The one time in Ignis’s life he was grateful he was blind, a heavy arrow of guilt shot through his heart. It made him feel sick to the stomach that he was glad he couldn’t see him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Couldn’t see Noct’s still-warm corpse.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>He had long given up on trying to hold back the raw fear in his voice as he plead for Prompto to immediately grab a Phoenix down from the small emergency-bag they left outside the throne room in preparation for when the armiger stopped responding to them.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Why was he bothering? He knew that Noctis wouldn’t come back. Ignis saw the prophecy for himself.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He would never get to hear his laugh again.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The prophecy said that the light will only return when the Chosen King ascends the throne and the scourge is rid from their star. But a selfish part of him wishes it was wrong. If Noctis had to die to bring the world peace, then he didn’t ever want the sun to rise again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He just wanted his brother back.</em>
</p><p> </p><p><br/>
A deep sigh rumbled through Gladio’s throat as he tried to hold back his own tears. With shaky hands, he grasped onto the all-too-familiar sword that King Regis once wielded - the only thing that kept Noctis pinned upright against the throne - through his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“Iggy, grab his shoulders for me?” Not trusting his own voice, the blind man simply nodded and wrapped both hands around Noctis’s limp shoulders. A gentle touch, but a firm enough grip to stop him from shifting.</p><p> </p><p>A hitched breath escaped the Shield as he tugged the large blade out from his dear friend as gently as he could. Someone he once teased and looked fondly at like the little brother Gladio didn’t have. And yet, he was doomed from the start to fail as the King’s Shield and never knew it until it was too late.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Fate was cruel.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Gladio purposefully tapped the tip of bloodied sword on the broken tiled floor as a voiceless way to let Ignis know that the blade was free and he could let Noctis go. The brunet said nothing but bit the inside of his lip to stop the tremble when he realised Ignis had no plans of releasing Noct. The room was deathly silent, save for the wavering breaths that were slowly being littered with stinging tears - they were definitely burning the still-fresh looking wound he was marked with ten years ago -but it didn’t seem like the blind man cared. The eldest thought for a moment about trying to console Ignis, but decided against it when his silent crying broke into mournful sobs, as though a bottle of emotions had just been shattered and he could no longer contain all hidden anguish kept from his friends. It would be for the best to let him shed all of those feelings, rather than try to help him bottle them up again - even if the unpleasant noise made Gladio’s heart ache.</p><p> </p><p>Gladio stepped to the side instead, his grip tightening on the sword as he tried his damndest to stop himself from letting out his own wracking sobs. They all knew Noct was all Ignis had growing up. On the rarest of occasions, the young Shield would see Scientia’s uncle in the citadel - but even then, he was always too busy to spend a moment with his small nephew. Noctis was the closest thing to family Ignis had. His little brother that he made an oath to at the tender age of six. A promise to protect him and to guide him throughout his life.</p><p> </p><p>His entire life had been dedicated to looking after that little boy he grew up with.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t lose him.</p><p> </p><p>At least Gladio had Iris and Prompto had Cindy. Ignis didn’t get that luxury.</p><p> </p><p>Noct was the only thing Ignis had to protect and cherish.</p><p> </p><p>Where the damned Astrals was Prompto with that Phoenix Feather? Each second that passed, the lesser the chance of the feather being able to revive him.</p>
<hr/><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p>
<hr/><p>Prompto clutched onto the feather tightly with one hand and the first aid bag with the other as he sprinted through the shattered citadel halls. Never before had he been so grateful for the stamina he worked so hard to build up as a kid. All those years he spent trying to lose weight, running every single morning until he felt confident enough to even <em>speak</em> with Noct, let alone become his best friend.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>All of that was going to be for naught if he didn’t hurry.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Noctis needed this more than <em>anything</em> else.</p><p> </p><p>The blond narrowly avoided slipping on the dusty, glossed tiles as he finally reached the throne room. He tried his hardest to ignore how the advisor they all knew to be the pillar of their group was on his knees and had his face buried onto Noct’s still-warm lap, his shoulders trembling and his gloved hands clutching onto his King’s arms as his sobs echoed through the heavy room, the heart-wrenching noise only barely muffled by Noct’s bloodied legs.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t fair. A world without their King was not one any of them wanted to be a part of. But they knew that Noctis would want them to keep going, more than anything else. To rebuild Insomnia and try to live the rest of their lives in the light as happily as they could.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe one day they <em>would</em> live normal lives. But they would never forget their fallen brother who gave his life to bring the dawn back. They’d never truly be themselves again with such a large part of their lives now becoming only a memory.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching the top of the short staircase, Gladio all but swiped the feather from Prompto’s quivering hands before he could utter a word. Not wanting to waste another second, all gentleness was thrown to the wind as he slammed the orange-glowing plume into his King’s hand. Forcing his fingers to close around the feather until the quill snapped, releasing the fierce healing magic that it contained. The flames danced around the still man before it flowed steadily into his skin and rapidly stitched together the flesh that surrounded the large wound on his chest. Leaving nothing but a red scar behind as the magic faded.</p><p> </p><p>The room was deathly quiet as the trio waited for something.</p><p> </p><p>And waited.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>And waited…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ignis suddenly sobbed out a gasp. His one open eye widening and his hand went to his teeth, tearing the dark glove off in moments before pressing firmly against Noct’s wrist with now-bare fingers. Before Gladio could ask the question they were all thinking, Ignis muttered barely loudly enough for them to hear, “I… I felt him breathe…” The advisor couldn’t believe his own ears, but his fingers could feel a very, <em>very</em> faint heartbeat, and that alone - was enough.</p><p> </p><p>Prompto and Gladio froze. This… Ignis wouldn’t lie to them, but a small part of Gladio was terrified that the man was delusional from grief and was merely imagining that he could feel Noct’s heartbeat. It just seemed too impossible for him to believe. But the other part of him didn’t care. If there was even the smallest chance that Noctis was alive, then he’d do whatever he could to help.</p><p> </p><p>Ignis held a free hand out in silent demand of another Phoenix Down, his unseeing gaze staring into nothing as he focused <em>everything</em> on trying to remember his first-aid training. The moment he felt the warm plume in his hand, he immediately pressed it into noct’s hand and clenched it into a fist again until he heard the satisfying crack. Not waiting for the flames to even remotely fade before asking Gladio to gently lay the King on his side in a recovery position.</p><p> </p><p>A single hum and Gladio set to work, doing his best to kick away any rubble that may be uncomfortable or dig into the weak man’s flesh before lowering him to rest. Feeling the scarily light breaths from his King as he shifted him onto his side, but forever thankful that his fears of Ignis’s hysteria were proved untrue. Prompto shrugged his long kingsglaive coat off and bundled it under his head as Gladio slipped his hand away from supporting his crown.</p><p> </p><p>The blind man spared nary a thought before directing the sharpshooter, “Prompto, call Cor and get him to send a medical team. He may be alive now but we don’t know how much time these feathers will grant him.” His voice was still rough from sobbing only moments ago, but his fingers <em>never</em> left Noct’s wrist.</p><p> </p><p>The blond instantly stuffed a hand into his pants pocket and fished out his phone. Cracked and on low battery, but still able to make calls. While dialling one of the very few numbers on his phone that still was still working, Gladio shrugged off his own jacket to wrap over Noct’s shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, I’m going to need you to help me lift his shirt so I can check the state of his wounds.” Ignis was already unbuttoning Noct’s dress shirt as he spoke, peeling it away carefully as his blood acted as a glue, sticking the fabric to his skin and around the now-sealed, but still red-with-fury wound.</p><p> </p><p>Confident that Ignis was able to sightlessly navigate the state of Noctis’s wound’s with touch, Gladio buried his hand into the medical bag in search for gauze and bandages, preparing to stabilise him a bit more until help arrived.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The first thing he felt was a shooting pain darting up and down his spine. It was like he was eight again just after the marilith attack, trapped to the confines of his bed. Wait, <em>was he eight?</em> It certainly felt like it. But he could feel his toes and move his legs - although it hurt to do so - He couldn’t do that when he was a kid. The second thing he noticed was that there was something in his palm. His fingers felt numb but if he squeezed them… He heard a gasp and - The hand, he realised - squeezed his back. “Noct?” A familiar accented voice called from the darkness. He sounded so far away, but the palm in his was still there - grounding him. “Noct, can you hear me?” The voice called again. His tone was calming on Noct’s frantic mind, and he needed more of it. He needed the reassurance that he wasn’t alone in the terrifying darkness.</p><p> </p><p>It was a fight to open his eyes, but Noctis managed to force his lids to part. The room was dim and barely decorated and the air was littered with dust that danced in tiny spots of light that bled in from under the closed door. Noct shifted his head slightly to the left and saw the man who held his hand to comfort him. Or perhaps he was trying to comfort <em>himself</em> - as two of his fingers rested firmly over Noct’s wrist. He smiled fondly at his oldest friend, recognising that of course Ignis would be keeping track of his pulse.</p><p> </p><p>That smile immediately dropped when he looked up and saw his face.</p><p> </p><p>Ignis’s cloudy visor was no where to be seen. Noct rarely <em>ever</em> saw him without his glasses on. And even less so after he was blinded in Altissia - He knew that Ignis always felt ashamed of his scars, even after Noctis had reassured him time and time again that he was still the ‘same old Iggy’ that he grew up with, and that his scars never made him worth any less to him. Ignis’s face was downcast and his cheeks were red and glistening slightly in the dim lighting. Had he been crying? Noctis hadn’t ever seen Ignis cry since he first arrived at the citadel as a timid boy, just shy of 6-years old and scared at night when he couldn’t find his stuffed rabbit that he treasured deeply.</p><p> </p><p>That's when he realised that the advisor’s hand was <em>shaking</em>, and that was the last straw. Noct couldn’t bear to see him like that anymore. The king slid his palm gently out of Ignis’s, tracing his index over the top of the ring-shaped scar that wrapped around his advisor’s middle finger. He never told him what happened in Altissia - almost certainly to protect Noctis’s feelings and keep him focused on the task at hand. His finger rose to brush underneath Ignis’s damp cheek, gently swiping away a stray tear that threatened to drip on the bedsheets below. “Hey, Ignis.” He croaked. He didn’t realise how dry his throat was until he heard himself speak.</p><p> </p><p>A pained smile rose on the blind man’s face as he turned towards Noct’s voice. He gulped before straining out, “Welcome back, your Majesty.” Clearly trying to keep any more tears from flowing, but Noct knew Ignis and could see new waves of emotion wash over him.</p><p> </p><p>Noctis tried to push himself upright, but only managed to get halfway before he let out a yelp of pain and slipped back down to rest. His arms instinctively clutching his chest right where he was-</p><p> </p><p>Stabbed. <em>Noctis was stabbed by his ancestors.</em></p><p> </p><p>He was supposed to be <em>dead</em>. He had <em>accepted</em> his death.</p><p> </p><p>So why was he still here?</p><p> </p><p>Ignis opened his mouth to speak - perhaps to tell Noctis what had happened, but he couldn’t command the words to leave his throat. There didn’t need to be. His face spoke loud enough for Noctis to hear.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Tears filled Noctis’s cobalt blue eyes and he reached an arm out to grip Ignis’s bicep. Gently tugging them towards him in a silent plea.</p><p> </p><p>The advisor understood his King and leaned himself forward to embrace the man he grew so proud of. Careful not to put much of his weight on Noctis’s still-weak form, he buried one ungloved hand into his messy dark hair, pulling the man as close to him as he could without squishing him. The soft smells that made Noctis who he is filled Ignis’s nostrils as he tried to savour every second he could. Forcing himself to remember that he was okay. He was okay. He was okay. He was okay-</p><p> </p><p>The bedroom door suddenly swung open and two other familiar faces brightened with joy upon seeing their King awake. Noct let Ignis slip away from him, leaving him to miss the warmth from the other’s body for a few moments before the gap was instantly filled with another warm embrace. This time his openly-sobbing best friend. The tired man rubbed his hand up and down Prompto’s back, hoping to soothe him and let him know that he was alright. Even Gladio - The man who Noctis saw as a big brother - ruffled his hair affectionately and smiled through misty eyes, “Good to have you back, Princess.”.</p><p> </p><p>They all stayed in a comfortable silence for some time. Simply enjoying having their dear friend back - and defying all odds of survival against the prophecy. The tears had stopped flowing now and their breathing had evened out mostly - though their hearts still pounded against their chests and would continue to do so for much longer.</p><p> </p><p>Thats when Gladio realised something. The reason why they all did this in the first place: <em>To bring back the dawn</em>. It would surely be approaching soon after ten long years of darkness and daemons. The large man gently tapped Prompto to ask him to shuffle over while he helped Noctis sit upright on the bed. It would be <em>wrong</em> for him to miss the reward of his hard work.</p><p> </p><p>Very slowly, Gladio stood Noctis up. Keeping the shorter man’s arm around his shoulder for support, while Ignis made his way to his other side and mirrored Gladio’s pose. Together, they walked Noctis out of the room and towards the small balcony, while Prompto scrambled to get a dining chair and a soft pillow to sit his best friend down on outside.</p><p> </p><p>Once they had cautiously brought Noctis to sit - completely out of breath and feeling quite helpless from the effort of just walking, even though he knew that his companions would never let him feel like an inconvienience - they all huddled together, side by side and watched the dark horizon start to glow orange with the new dawn of an era.</p><p> </p><p>Noctis fought to tear his eyes away from the horizon so he could watch the reactions of Gladio, Ignis and Prompto as the sun rose from its ten year slumber - His three closest friends who made countless sacrifices to help bring the sun back - The tears of joy that filled their eyes as they shared this moment was enough to make Noctis smile.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Their happiness was everything to him.</em>
</p>
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